Something Special
by Howling Storm
Summary: A hopeless Beta in a quest for impossible love... Rated M for lemons in future chapters
1. Chapter 1

**(Author's note: Hi! This is my first fanfiction, so... that's pretty cool! I've always wanted to do a fanfiction about this, but I never seemed to get my act together. But then I forced myself to make an account and DO it! Hah! But this is the first chapter of a Beta's quest for an impossible love... enjoy!)**

 **Something Special**

" **Chapter One"**

Hutch paced outside of his den, wondering why it had to be her. Why her? Why did it HAVE to be her? _If it were some other Alpha, oh, I don't know... but why did it have to be her?_ The image of the beautiful, slender, tan-furred Alpha filled his head. Did it have to be Kate...? Hutch's shaggy mane shone in the sun, his unique facial markings distorted by the snarl imprinted on his face. All because of Winston and Tony's stupid argument... now Kate will be marrying Garth to unite the packs! Hutch snarled out loud, seemingly in an endless spiral of hatred and sadness. Winston told Hutch and Hutch alone of his plan. And tonight was the moonlight howl. Another one that Hutch would experience without someone to howl with. _The last time I howled at the moonlight howl was when I was a pup! With my siblings, no less! We didn't even know what the true meaning of the moonlight howl meant!_

But no, Kate would meet Garth at the moonlight howl, howl together, fall in love, get married, unite the packs... and _... And raise a family, no doubt. And where would I be? Still alone. Admired, but still alone._ Hutch sat down. He looked at the rising sun. Kate did not know of the plan. Hutch had to do something. He had to do something now. He bolted off before Beta duties began. He had to find Kate. Or else... she'd be lost to him forever. And forever meant... forever. He would not let her slip between his paws, like a fish that he sometimes tried to hunt. _A fish! I could impress her by catching a fish! Prove to her that I'm good at a lot of things, so when she meets Garth he won't seem so special. Hah! It's perfect_. Hutch stopped, realizing how stupid he sounded. A fish!? _No... we don't hunt fish. We hunt caribou. And that means that we won't eat slimy fish_. Hutch sighed. But maybe... no. It wouldn't work. Foil their plan? _No, I'd be going against not one, but TWO of the Alpha's orders! I can't do that! Hutch got up again._ It was the best idea that he had.

 _I can't do it... can I?_

 **(EEEEEE! I've been wanting to get that story out into the world forever. So there you go! I promise that I'll keep updating, although I will not be able to update next week or the weekend after that. Seems like kind of a bad time to start a story. But I'll update until then! Don't worry, I have lots of plans in mind!)**


	2. Chapter 2

**(Author's note: Crud. I messed up the previous chapter. Ignore that, I beg of you. Sorry!)**

 **Something Special**

" **Chapter Two"**

Hutch watched Garth from the bushes nearby the cliff he was on, his eyes narrowed in concentration and his tongue periodically escaping his jaws to lick his muzzle in anticipation. He knew how strong Garth was. But Hutch trained using the same techniques that Garth did… so he was ready. But Hutch was still smaller than Garth. And faster. Quick, lightning fast movements that would burn like the fiery rage residing in his heart. So Hutch waited for a weak moment. Just a second would do… _Patience, Hutch. Mustn't make a noise. Stay quiet. Stay alert. And above all, stay alive._

Finally, Hutch got what he was waiting for. Garth turned his back for just a moment. Hutch leapt out of the bushes, trying to keep quiet until the last possible second. He smiled to himself before landing on top of Garth, catching him totally off guard. Hutch used Garth's weight against him and his momentum rolled both of them off of the cliff. Hutch kept his paw on Garth's head the whole way down so he couldn't see his attacker.

"What the- OOF!" Garth barked, before landing belly-first in the leaves.

 _Oh, if I had planned it more it would have had rock shards at the bottom… but I'll just have to make do._ Hutch thought. Hutch had to make sure Garth didn't see his face or recognize his scent, so he had to keep moving out of the way. Garth had taken the blow surprisingly well, but not well enough. In his lapse of attention, Hutch rammed headfirst into his side. "Hey! What!? This is the Moonlight Howl! What are you doing!?" Garth howled, before Hutch rammed his mouth shut.

Hutch didn't even speak as he repeatedly dug his claws into Garth's back as he tried to hold on. Garth bucked him off before he could bite down on his spine. Hutch rolled into some brambles, scratching himself. Garth turned around in circles, growling, and his muzzle bleeding. Hutch had to keep moving. He bolted out again, this time catching Garth in the neck. Hutch felt himself going out of control, but he didn't stop himself. _This… wolf… will take Kate away from me. He must be eliminated. He is a threat that must not just be eliminated, he must be destroyed._

Before Hutch knew it, Garth wasn't fighting back. Had he won that easily? No… he couldn't have. But it was true. Garth wasn't a threat anymore. The ghost of his surprised face was still etched upon his face.


	3. Chapter 3

**Something Special**

" **Chapter Three"**

Hutch almost howled out in terror when he realized what he had done. He had mercilessly killed the wolf that was supposed to help unite the packs. Too late Hutch realized the consequences to what he had done. What had he done? How could he have let his feelings take control of him? How _could he?_ He just wanted to get garth away from Kate… and not by murdering him! But Hutch was in for it now. _Think Hutch, think! You have to cover up for this somehow. And you mustn't let anyone have even the smallest inkling of a suspicion to what you have done! First… first… first put the body in the river… that at least will wash off the scent._

Hutch dragged Garth's body to the river. Too late he realized he had left his own scent there. He found a small patch of very fragrant wildflowers and then he rolled in them to cover up his scent. Then he took the same flowers and put them all over the path leading to the river. Suddenly, howls from atop the rock started to rise. _And Kate is without a partner…_ Hutch wanted to go up to her and ask her to howl with him, but the two were only friends. She never would. And besides, Hutch wasn't done yet.

Hutch padded upstream, where he washed the wildflower scent off of him. That way he'd smell normal. He recognized some of the howls. _I hear Winston and Eve's howls… is… I think that's Cando's howl! Wow! Good for him._ Hutch instantly felt jealous. _I may never get the one I want…_ Hutch padded back to his den to dry off. Then, he set out to look for Kate. _Might as well make tonight good… tomorrow might not end so well…_

Hutch finally found Kate and of course, her shadow, Lilly. Hutch nodded to them before padding up. "Hi Kate, hi Lilly. How's tonight going for you so far?" Hutch asked, trying to get the image of Garth's broken and bleeding body out of his mind.

"It's going okay… but we haven't seen Garth. He's supposed to meet me here, I think. At least that's what Winston told me," Kate barked back, looking around.

Suddenly the image of Garth filled Hutch's mind. He shuddered slightly. "Are you cold, Hutch?" Lilly asked in her small, quiet voice.

 _Quick, come up with something._ "Oh, I accidentally fell into the river. I guess I'm not completely dry yet," He lied.

"Aw… poor you! You shouldn't be out in the cold after falling in the river… you should go back to your den," Kate woofed.

 _I wish. If I did the memories of killing Garth would keep me up all night anyway…_ "Nah, it's okay. Anyway, did you hear that Cando's got a howling partner now?" Hutch asked, trying to change the subject.

"No! I didn't! Well, good for him. I wonder who the she-wolf is. I bet she's nice," Kate woofed.

"And she must be pretty tough to put up with Cando's personality…" Lilly chimed in, talking almost underneath her breath.

"Lilly! Be nicer!" Kate instantly barked.

She turned back to Hutch. "Lilly is right though. That she-wolf must either have a similar personality or must be able to put up with his antics I guess…" Kate woofed.

Kate looked around one more time. "I don't think Garth is coming… I'll tell Winston about it tomorrow. I'm heading back to the den. Lilly? Are you coming with?" Kate asked, looking at her sister.

"No… I want to say hi to the other Omegas. I haven't talked to them for a while," Lilly woofed.

"Ooooh, are you sure that's not the only reason?" Kate asked, giving her sister a look.

"Kate! No! I don't _like_ them. They're my friends," Lilly instantly barked back.

"Suuure. Well, see you tomorrow then Lilly. Bye Hutch," Kate woofed, turning away from them to leave.

"Your sister sure is giving you a hard time about this," Hutch woofed, wondering why Lilly still looked flustered.

"Yeah… well… let's just keep this between us, but I do kinda like one of the Omegas," Lilly woofed.

 _Wait. She trusts me of all wolves with a secret like that!? I guess she knows I don't tell too many wolves a whole lot… I guess I can keep a secret._ "Really? Which one? I'll keep it a secret by the way, don't worry," Hutch woofed quickly, wondering who it was.

"I kinda like… Humphrey. But before you say anything about me not having a chance with him, I know. I know I'm not going to be able to get with him and all that. But that's okay. I can live with that," Lilly woofed.

"I never thought that you didn't have a chance with him. I wish you the best of luck," Hutch woofed, dipping his head.

"Thank you… and I noticed. You really like Kate, don't you?" Lilly asked, catching Hutch totally off guard.

 _How does she know that?! She must be pretty smart or something to find out that…_ "I… yes. I do. But it's _Kate._ I think I have a lot less of a chance than you do," Hutch woofed back.

"I think you have more of a chance than you think, Hutch. Well, bye. I need to get going so I can see the others," Lilly woofed, dipping her head to him before padding away.

 _I still don't understand how she knows… but I guess we can help each other out. I hope that she gets to be with Humphrey. They'd be a good couple. And… I hope that Garth's death will never be traced to me. I don't think I'll ever be able to get that out of my mind, ever._


	4. Chapter 4

**Something Special**

 **Chapter Four**

 **(Author's note: Heeeey! I got a very helpful review (you know who you are), and thank you for your insight! Yes, this chapter is a little longer than the rest, and it showcases a few more characters. Let's see this new chapter spring into action! (Also, sorry for taking so long to upload, life got in the way for a bit. It was like: No, you are not doing this fanfiction and I will do everything in my power to stop you from doing it. XD) WOOF!)**

Hutch sighed. _Perhaps I should go to my den… there isn't anything here for me to do. Might as well get one last good sleep before surely being found out. I must have done something wrong… something must have messed up. It couldn't be so… perfect. Something must have had to happen._ Hutch started to pad back to his den. Around halfway there, he heard the most terrifyingly scared howl. _Oh no… I might not even get to spend one more peaceful night!_ The howls were repeated with different voices among them. _They're finding out, fast! To not act suspicious, I must get there now!_

The howls were coming from the place he killed Garth.

Hutch sped so fast through the territory it felt as though he were flying. _I'm the head Beta… I need to be there! And that means I won't be suspicious… that is the one silver lining to this terrible tragedy that I have brought upon the packs._ Hutch raced to the site, and he did a quick head count. _Lilly, Humphrey, Shakey, Salty, Mooch, Winston, Eve, Tony, I think there are the vegetarians Reba and Janice… Sweets, and I don't know the rest._

Hutch took a look at the ground. _Blood stains. How could have I been so stupid?! I did everything but get rid of the blood stains! How!?_ Hutch padded up to Winston, hoping he looked shocked enough. "Hutch! Oh, am I glad to see you. There has been a terrible tragedy," Winston barked, his voice filled with surprise.

There were sounds of more wolves coming behind Hutch, and he turned around. Kate was with Cando, and there was Cando's new girlfriend. Hutch couldn't see who it was very well, but when she came into the light, Hutch recognized her. _Candy? Really? I… well then. I didn't think she'd be the wolf to be with Cando, but… love knows no bounds. I of all wolves should know that now._ Kate padded up to Hutch, sitting down in front of him. Hutch dipped his head before speaking. "Kate. Cando. Candy. I am afraid that I have to inform you that a terrible tragedy has fallen upon us. It appears as though a wolf has been murdered," he woofed, the words feeling strange on his tongue

 _And I did it! I murdered Garth because of my stupidity and a love that could never be! I set it up, I attacked him, I killed him, I dragged the body to the river and threw it in, I rolled in the wildflowers to cover my scent, I dragged the same wildflowers all over the place to cover up the scent trail, I did it! I did it all!_ It took Hutch an extreme amount of self-control to keep himself from actually saying the words. Too late did he realize that Kate had been talking that whole time. He only caught the last words.

"… just let me see if Hutch agrees. Hutch? What do you think?" Kate woofed, turning to him.

 _Quick, come up with something… again._ "Oh, um, sure. We can do that," He woofed. _I have no idea what I just agreed to._ "Good. Winston? Hutch, Cando, Candy and I have a plan to at least investigate the situation and find the killer," Kate woofed, padding up to her father.

Winston turned to her. "Good. Let's begin immediately. You do what you have to and I'll investigate the battle scene here," Winston woofed.

 _Why couldn't she have explained the plan more thoroughly to her father? Then maybe I'd know what we're supposed to do…_ "Alright then! Let's go you three," Kate woofed, following the trail of blood.

 _I'm glad that it's only Garth's scent that is overpowering the wildflowers. I am so lucky that I didn't get a scratch. Maybe my thick fur helped with that._ Soon enough they got to the river. Hutch quickly saw a piece of his own fur on a branch that he must have snagged when dragging the body to the river. Passing off the movement as running to the water's edge, Hutch quickly took the piece of fur off of the branch. _I'll bury this later._

 _I'd better say something._ "Drat. Whoever killed him must have thrown the body in the river," Hutch woofed, trying to keep the image of himself throwing the body into the river just a few minutes before out of his mind.

"Whoever did it must be pretty strong. Not everyone could drag Garth. I mean, just from what I heard of him. I never… met him or anything," Kate woofed, adding on the last part quickly.

 _Well, crud. That's true. That certainly narrows it down. Now I'll be more suspicious than before and… oh what am I doing right now!? I need to concentrate on making it seem like I'm surprised and all that. I can think about this tonight._ "Cando, Candy, you two go downstream and find Garth's body. When you do, get it out and bark three short times. Then Hutch will get him and carry him back to camp. Sound good Hutch?" Kate asked, looking at Hutch.

Normally, Hutch felt intimidated and… other odd emotions under her gaze. But the stress was so severe that it didn't affect him at the moment. "Yes. Let's do that," He quickly agreed.

Cando and Candy instantly bolted off, the bloodstained, fragrant grass waving in their wake. Hutch was about to delve back into his thoughts, when he noticed Kate's composure breaking down. She was crying. "Kate? Are you okay?" Hutch asked, knowing full well that she wasn't.

"No... I just… I thought that this would finally end the war between our packs," Kate responded.

 _I need to act surprised. Either that and tell her that Winston told me… oh no. Winston told me and me alone about this. Whether he realizes it tonight or not, he will realize that I was the only one who he told, and then I'll be prime suspect! I'd be dead instantly if it weren't for me being the lead Beta… but that won't hold much of an argument against him._

Hutch realized that he had to respond. "I… how would it end the war between the packs?" Hutch asked.

 _Kate mustn't know either, then she'd be suspecting me. And I can't have that. I need to play dumb. And… how did she know of the plan? No matter. I'm not even supposed to know of the plan until now. I need to keep those questions to myself._ Kate looked at him. "I… my father told me that I'd have to marry Garth and unite the packs! I was going to do it, but I had never met him before or anything!" Kate barked, tears continuously coming down her face.

Hutch was about to say something, when Kate gasped. "What if Winston thinks that _I_ killed Garth?! He only told me… well he didn't _tell_ me, I eavesdropped and found out… but all the same, what if he thinks that _I_ did it!?" Kate barked, sobbing now.

 _I need to say something nice. Not only would that comfort her but paint a better picture of me in her mind._ "Kate. Listen to me. I know that you didn't kill Garth. You of all wolves wouldn't do it. Honestly, it was probably someone from Tony's pack. Someone who wanted Garth for themselves and got jealous and got carried away! Listen, _Winston will not think you did it._ I will make sure of it, okay?" Hutch woofed, giving her a reassuring lick on the ear.

Kate buried her head in Hutch's neck fur, which was certainly of note. _OH MY GOD. This is the closest I've gotten to Kate in forever! Don't mess it up now…_ "Th- thank you Hutch. It's nice to know that you're there for me," Kate woofed, looking up at him.

"Don't mention it. We _will_ find this killer, whoever it is. And whoever it is will pay a very high price for what they did," Hutch growled, looking around.

 _Now you're in for it. You just promised Kate that you'd find the killer and then kill them. So basically you promised her that you'd find yourself and then kill… let's not think about that._ "Thank you again Hutch. Maybe"- Kate was interrupted by three short barks.

"Sounds like Cando. I'd better get over there," Hutch woofed, padding away.

He heard Kate's voice behind him. "I'll be waiting for you with the rest of the pack!" She barked.

Hutch sped towards the river. He didn't want to see Garth's body for a second time but he had to. He saw Cando and Candy, sitting next to a dripping wet bundle of fur. Flashbacks suddenly went through Hutch's brain. _Keep them down._ He padded up to them. "Thank you. You should get back to the others- Kate's waiting there," Hutch woofed, giving them each a nod.

"Will do. Let's go Candy," Cando woofed, padding away, Candy in tow.

Hutch waited for them to leave, before sighing. He looked at Garth's face. A single tear fell from his eye and onto Garth's fur. Hutch put his nose to Garth's flank.

 _Oh Garth. I'm so sorry._


	5. Chapter 5

**Something Special**

 **Chapter Five**

Hutch sighed. He quickly checked Garth's body for signs of Hutch's hair on it. _I must be careful._ He lifted it up gently, trying to not do any more damage to his body. _Not that I cared about that earlier…_ he pushed the images out of his mind. Garth was pretty big, but Hutch was able to carry him alright. _If only I were as big as him… Kate would adore me then. Maybe._ Hutch padded back to the group. Tony was the first to run forward and look at his son's body. Hutch carefully set him down. "Garth! I'm so sorry this happened to you! I'll find who did it, I promise!" Tony howled out to the stars.

Hutch very much wanted to say that he was the one who did it, but he knew that it would be immediate casting out of the pack. He had to keep his cool. _I very much want to tell them the truth. But would it be worth it? I'd have to explain why I did it and I can't say that. Not in a million years. Not ever._ Hutch sighed. Winston stepped forward and padded up to Hutch. Hutch dipped his head. Winston sighed. He quietly spoke the words as Tony was still howling out promises to the stars. "Hutch, we have much to discuss. But it seems as though the whole pack is stressed, including Kate. She doesn't want to spend the night alone, but not with us. Our family needs to discuss this, but Kate's scared and I think she's that way because she was the one meant to… you know," Winston woofed.

Hutch nodded in agreement. "So, what does that mean?" He asked.

"I think Kate should spend the night with you. She may have been Humphrey's friend more than you, but he has an important job right now. One that I'll explain to you later. Right now you need to get Kate away from Garth's body. I think it's… upsetting her," Winston added, lowering his voice even more.

Hutch dipped his head in agreement. "Alright Winston. I'll do that. But before I do, what will we do tomorrow? Kate will have to be involved in this…" Hutch trailed off.

"That's what I want you to explain to her. She's going to have to be part of this investigation. She's a talented Alpha, but she hasn't witnessed this kind of death before in her life. She hasn't seen any… wolf bodies yet. So you need to comfort her. Please," Winston woofed.

Hutch detected a kind of urgency in his voice. _I'd be like that too if I would be an Alpha in this kind of situation… and not just an Alpha, the Alpha of the Western pack. I'd probably be worse off._ Hutch nodded in agreement again. "Yes Winston. I can do that. Just… let's hope we can settle this soon," Hutch woofed, before turning away.

Kate was leaning against Eve, who Hutch still feared even though Eve wasn't that mean to him. _That might change real quick if Winston didn't tell her about this, though I imagine he would tell her…_ "Ah, Hutch dearie. Winston told me, it's okay for the night," Eve woofed.

She leaned in close and added in a softer voice: "Don't you dare do anything to her or I'm going to rip off your ears," She snarled.

 _Harsh._ "Y-yes ma'am. Will do," Hutch woofed.

He looked at Kate, who seemed to be kind of out of it. She shook her head vigorously as if she was getting rid of bugs, and then got up. Eve gave Hutch one last warning glare before going back to where Winston was. _Sheesh._ "You ready to go Kate?" Hutch asked.

Kate looked up at him. "Yes. I… can't believe someone could take down such a powerful wolf. He or she would have to be someone with similar strength as to you to do so…" Kate woofed.

 _Uh oh. Is she starting to figure it out already?_ Quickly Kate tensed up, realizing what she said. "No! I didn't mean you. You're the last wolf I think would do something like this. I just hope that we find this killer soon, whoever it may be. Maybe it's someone from the Eastern pack, like you said. But who would kill their own pack mate?" Kate wondered.

 _I did._

"Anyway, we need to get started on this right away. We need to figure out who did this to our pack. We need to find out who would _want_ to do this to our pack. I surely can't think of anyone right now, can you?" Kate asked, looking back up at Hutch.

"No. I don't think we have enough leads to find out. Once we look more, maybe. But the killer, whoever it was, covered up their tracks well enough that we couldn't smell a thing," Hutch responded.

 _Except for that piece of fur… how am I going to bury that now? Wait… its shedding season right? Yeah, it is. Early in the shedding season, but here._ Hutch gave his fur a shake, dislodging the scrap of fur. It fell to the ground, and Kate didn't notice. _Good. And if anyone finds the scrap of fur, they'll know it's mine but also know that it's shedding season. And they'll know that I went this way with Kate when I was bringing her away from the site of Garth's death._

"We should get going Kate. I think the pack needs to have some time to cool down as well as us. Let's get going," Hutch woofed, guiding Kate away from the scene.

Kate followed willingly, and along the path back to Hutch's den, she spoke up just once. "Do you think that this will be a mystery for a long time or will we solve it soon?" She had asked.

Hutch didn't know what to say at the time. He settled for an answer in the middle ground. "Well, I don't think it'll take a very long time or a very short time. I think that we'll find some clues pretty quick, because there must have been some clues the killer left behind," He had answered.

 _But for my safety, I sure hope not._

Soon they had gotten to Hutch's den. Kate walked in, seemingly 'staring into space'. She laid down, and put her head on her paws. In seconds she was asleep. Hutch stayed outside for a minute. _Will I be discovered and have my conscience cleared and possibly die? Or, will I never be discovered as the killer and have to live with the knowledge that I was behind the reason the packs would never unite? Or will it be somewhere in the middle, where I purposely leave a clue in a very obvious place that they just didn't get to yet and then race for the hills? Maybe that's what I'll do…_

Hutch was seriously considering it until he looked back and saw Kate sleeping there. _No. I won't do that. I'll stick through until the end, where they either find me out or I never get discovered. Kate's the reason behind all of this. If I were to leave now… it would defeat the whole purpose of doing all this. If I were to leave now, all of my hard work would be wasted. And I'd still have to live with the knowledge of my decisions if I left,_ and _have to keep away from the packs for the rest of my life. I couldn't bring myself to do that. Never. I'd only do that if they were moments away from finding me out and I had no choice._

Hutch looked at the moon, now starting to set. _Soon it'll be morning. I'd better get some sleep, and be prepared for tomorrow. And I still need to talk to Kate. I can do that in the morning though._ Hutch thought, as he turned around to head back into the cave. Hutch laid down beside Kate, wondering what would happen if he never got caught.

 _I always assume that I'll be caught. But what if I'm not? Will I finally get my wish, the whole reason I'm in this situation in the first place? Or will I just have to live with being Kate's friend? I don't mind being her friend, but I could do that without killing Garth._ Hutch thought some more, but his mind kept going back to what he'd have to do to not get caught. _I might have to stage fake evidence, and use other wolves' fur to… to make it seem like_ they're _the culprit._ Hutch let his mind wander even further into dark territory.

 _If Winston knows that only Kate and I knew about this, he might suspect me right off the bat. If he doesn't already. I might have to… eliminate the threat. And I sure hope I don't have to…_ Hutch stopped his thoughts right there. He wasn't about to think about what else he might have to do. Hutch laid his head down too.

 _Maybe things will seem better in the morning…_

 **(*Starts screaming internally* So, how's that? Some dark thoughts on Hutch's part there… geez Hutch. Didn't think that there was a bad side to you. XD. See you later!)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Something Special**

 **Chapter Six**

 **(Hi! Sorry for taking so long to upload a chapter. But here we are! What will Hutch do today? Let's find out! Enjoy.)**

 _Morning._ Hutch opened his eyes, seeing the sun start to peek out from the horizon. Kate was still by his side, asleep. _I'd better talk to her. Otherwise Winston won't be very happy with me._ Hutch recounted the events of last night. _You know, it doesn't seem too bad anymore. I just need to do what I have to so I can cover this up. Let's think here. The only Western wolves who were supposed to know about this were Kate and I, and Winston, and maybe Eve and Lilly. Because they're Kate's family and all. Now. We don't know if Tony told the Eastern pack about this or not, so I can use that as a starting argument when we start talking about this today. Now, if Tony_ did _tell the Eastern pack about this, than that's good. But if not… I have to make a plan B._

Hutch felt Kate stirring at his side. _She's waking up. I'd better talk to her about this._ Kate lifted her head up and opened her eyes. Hutch took a deep breath. He had always been good at hiding his true emotions, but right now the circumstances were such that he felt kind of giddy. "Morning Hutch… I assume you were going to tell me that I have to contribute to the search about Garth's death and all, right?" She asked, her head cocking to one side.

 _What? How did she know that?_ "How did you know that?" Hutch asked, taken aback.

"My parents aren't very good whisperers. I overheard them," Kate woofed.

 _Eavesdropper. We have an eavesdropper on our paws. I'd be careful about what I say._ "Okay then. Then I guess we'd better get going. I assume some wolves have already started searching," Hutch woofed.

"Right. Let's go then," Kate woofed, getting up.

Hutch got up as well, and he started following Kate as she led him back to Garth's killing site. _Now she's acting like an Alpha. I feel like she wants to make up for her slip up when she was too shocked to do anything._ Hutch thought. Hutch sniffed the ground when they got closer, and he smelled Kate's scent and his own from the night before. _Okay, not anything much. All normal things. Then again, there's no way I'd find anything out of the ordinary here. I'm just doing this so it seems like I don't know who the killer is, like literally everyone else. No exceptions. But let's think more here. If only a few wolves from this pack know about the arranged marriage, and if Tony says that he didn't tell his pack, I don't hold much of an argument until Winston, Eve, and Tony himself piece together who did it. And if Lilly and Kate are the only other two who know, then the three of us would be prime suspects. I think Lilly would be dismissed first, because it's Lilly. Kate would actually probably be the prime suspect because she was the one who needed to marry him._

 _That's why Kate is so scared. I hope she doesn't get prosecuted, but I hope I won't either._

Before Hutch knew it, he and Kate were standing in front of Lilly, Winston, Eve, and Tony. _I sure hope this goes okay…_ Hutch thought. "Greetings Kate, Hutch. We were waiting for you before we started discussing matters," Winston woofed.

Eve gave Hutch a very aggressive look, and Hutch recognized it as her telling him that if he had done anything to Kate last night, she'd bite his face off. _And I don't think she's joking. I know she isn't joking._ "Morning. Let's get talking right away then," Kate woofed.

"Yes. We should," Hutch added, needing to contribute to the conversation.

"Okay. First things first, we need to find out if any other wolf knew about this, so we can see if there's any wolves we need to make as a suspect. So, Tony, did anyone in your pack know about this? Besides Garth?" Winston asked.

 _This is the moment of truth…_

Tony nodded his head. "Yes. I told my pack, because Garth had many friends. I thought it best that they knew before he married Kate," Tony woofed.

 _That's a huge relief. But I am not out of the woods yet… there may be other hurtles to cross._ "Well, that makes it sort of difficult… but as far as I know, only Winston, Eve, Kate, and you Hutch are the only other Western wolves who knew about this… right?" Lilly asked, in her quiet voice.

Hutch noticed that she looked particularly scared. _She's more scared than Kate was. Maybe because she wasn't trained to be an Alpha like Kate. Perhaps Omegas aren't really supposed to be taught about this kind of thing._ Winston nodded in agreement. "You're right. So that takes away a large portion of the packs, and makes them innocent," Winston woofed.

Tony snorted in anger at this. "Western pack. Always thinking _they're_ the innocent ones. Maybe one of their wolves _did_ know, and they're the ones responsible," Tony muttered, so low only Hutch could hear him, because he was standing right next to him.

 _Little does he know the killer's right next to him…_ Hutch thought. _Wait. I shouldn't be thinking about that._ Hutch remembered. He sighed. _Just get through this, and you'll be okay._ Eve sighed. "Well, I think that we're going to have to investigate more. Obviously we've said all we can about what we told the packs. Let's wait until more information is found out. How's that sound?" Eve asked, looking around the group.

Hutch nodded in agreement first. _Anything to get this over with. I feel like everyone can hear my heartbeat._ "Yes. I can send out some wolves to investigate, if you'd like, Winston," Hutch woofed, trying to make his voice sound casual.

Winston nodded, agreeing. "Go ahead Hutch. And Tony can ask his pack about last night, see if he can get some information. How's that sound Tony?" Winston asked.

Tony agreed. "Yes. I'll get back to you around midday. See you then," Tony woofed, bidding goodbye and leaving.

Winston and Eve gave each other a look. "Hutch, take Lilly and Kate. I'm sure that they'll be helpful," Eve woofed.

Her bark was accompanied by a very hard stare at Hutch. _I get it. Nooo problem._ Hutch nodded. "Got it. Let's go then," He woofed to Kate and Lilly, who got up to follow him.

 _Not so bad. Maybe this won't be my demise after all…_

 **(Just a little quick message before I go, sorry if this chapter's a little short. I don't have too many ideas about what to write right now, but I wanted to give you something. So here you go. Sorry)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Something Special**

 **Chapter Seven (Wow already? Woah.)**

 **Special Thanks to bikerboy for helping out with this chapter and the storyline afterwards**

 **(Author's Note: We're already on chapter seven! Woah! I feel… pretty good about this. The story's going to be a lot more interesting now than Hutch just trying to keep the murder a secret. Oh, also, there's going to be a pretty bloody scene, also with liquid that is associated with infected wounds, and oozing. I will put a message in brackets when the scene begins and ends. You ready to go? Let's go then!)**

Hutch, Kate, and Lilly were all padding back towards the pack. "Do you want us to go ahead Hutch? We can start alerting everyone about this, so everyone will be there," Lilly asked.

"Go ahead you two. I'll make a quick stop by the scene of the crime to make sure nothing drastic happened in the middle of the night," Hutch woofed.

"Okay. We'll see you later then," Kate barked.

The two sisters left, picking up the pace as they padded towards the pack. _I'm glad that Lilly suggested that she and Kate go ahead. I need to psyche myself up before doing all of this. We're going to be around Garth's body a lot, and I need to be prepared before we start investigating. So, let's go find the body._ Hutch padded to where they had left Garth's body. It was under a bush, protected from the elements. Or, as it was supposed to be. As Hutch neared the bush, he found that Garth's body was missing.

Almost freaking out, Hutch was about to howl for help. _No. I will prove to myself that I can do this alone._ Hutch investigated the hill that was behind the bush, leading down to the river. There was no scent there. _Okay… then maybe the body was washed into the river last night and the scent faded enough?_ Hutch ran downstream, scanning the water for suspicious sights. He ran right down to the part of the river that had a lot of rocks. _The body would get caught here instead of going downstream… the rocks are too close together to let anything much bigger than a fish get through, let alone a wolf._

Hutch leapt onto the rocks, which were slippery. _I do NOT want to fall in._ Hutch thought, as he pulled apart the rocks, searching for some sign that Garth's body was here. Nothing. _I searched everywhere… is it possible that some sort of predator took it away?_ Hutch ran back to the site, thinking. _No… the scent of wolf was too strong. Scavengers would be too scared. We don't really have any other big predators in our territory anyways, except maybe bears. But as far as I know… bears don't eat wolves. Anyway, there's plenty of surrounding food. Bears wouldn't_ need _to eat a wolf._

Hutch was getting frantic and considered calling for help. _At least this is something that I_ didn't _do._ Hutch thought. He was about to call for help when he heard a rustle a few feet away. _Huh?_ He instantly kept low to the ground, sneaking towards the bush where he heard the rustling. He scented for what it was. _Blood. Wolf. But, no death. Is there a wolf trapped in there or something?_ Hutch thought. As he got closer, a paw came out of the bush, obviously feeling for something. _Rust colored fur. This wolf is alive._ Hutch saw that the paw was huge. _This wolf is a male._ Hutch scented the air again for the identity of this wolf.

He was taken aback from what he smelled. _I must be imagining it. He's dead! I killed him!_ A voice came from inside the bush. "Is someone there…? Please… help me…" The wolf whispered, so obviously very weak. _It is!_ "G-Garth?" Hutch asked.

 **(Author's note: DUN DUN DUUUUN!)**

Instantly the voice sounded relived. "Hutch! It's you! You gotta help me. The last thing I remembered was getting attacked, I have no idea who it was except that they had gray fur, and then everything blacked out. I woke up underneath a bush, and then I dragged myself here. I was lying in a puddle of my own blood. I knew I wanted to move, but I could only drag myself this far… please! You need to help me!" Garth barked, his voice weak.

In any other circumstance where Hutch did try to kill Garth he would kill him. But then Hutch realized all that he had been through after killing Garth. Sure, it would be so easy to just kill him, and then he could frame another wolf for the crime and get on with his life, but he'd also have to live with the conscience that he killed Garth again, after feeling terribly guilty after attempting to murder him once. If Hutch did save him, he'd have to deal with the problem that a gray furred wolf killed him, and that's what Hutch was, but he wouldn't be suspicious because he saved Garth. And then he'd be happy knowing that he'd saved Garth.

 _But what if he has to marry Kate? Then everything would have been for nothing. But would they really marry them? I mean, to them that would just seem like giving the wolf another chance. They couldn't marry. But what if they do?_ Hutch thought about it. _That's a risk I'm willing to take, for my sanity, and to finally clear my name._ "Hutch? Are you going to help me?" Garth asked.

"Yes. It's just, everyone thought that you were dead. I'll howl for help. I won't leave you in a condition like this," Hutch woofed, feeling happy, but also scared with his decision.

"Oh, thank you Hutch! I am forever in your debt," Garth woofed.

 _No, I was just repaying it. But no matter._ Hutch let loose a long, loud howl. He didn't howl any words, because he still wasn't quite confident in howling words yet. _It's been years._ Hutch sighed. _I'm glad I made the decision I did, but, I don't know how it's going to go. I don't think I'll be suspicious, because to the others, if I was the wolf who attempted to kill him, I would. But, also to them, the killer seems cold-hearted and… well… not me. Not the real me, anyway._ Hutch was still scared about how he acted that night. _I… I don't even have words in my mind for how I acted. I'm just glad I can redeem myself. But… how did I not kill Garth? Did I knock him unconscious accidentally, and it seemed like he was dead? Or… was I just not strong enough?_

Hutch had tried very hard to forget the events of that night, but it was a little difficult because it wasn't that long ago at all. But, Hutch had tried so hard that he forgot some of it. He only clearly remembered when he knocked Garth off of the cliff, landing on top of him, and the end when he was disguising the place and throwing him in the river. _I hazily remember getting thrown off by him, then having to attack him again. But… that's about it. And I wasn't in my right mind anyway, so I'm not that surprised about it._ Hutch thought.

By this time, Kate, Lilly, Winston, and Eve came to the scene. Tony was back with his pack, so word would take a bit to travel to him. Winston padded up to him. "Hutch! What is it? We heard your howl and- "Garth's alive," Hutch interrupted.

"What?! He's alive!? Where is he?" Eve asked, frantically looking around.

"U-under here…" Came Garth's weak voice, sticking his paw out again.

" _Garth!_ " All of the wolves barked in unison.

"As you heard… I'm… somewhat alive…" He added, sticking his nose out.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we _need_ to get him out. _Now,"_ Hutch woofed.

"You're right Hutch. We'll try to get him as untangled as possible, and you will have to pull him out. None of us others are strong enough to do that," Winston barked.

"Alright. Let's get it done quickly. We're going to need those wounds attended to. I got a glimpse. They're bad," Hutch answered.

 _I didn't get a glimpse of them. The bush is too thick. I was the one that caused them. But I already know that._ Hutch padded up to the front of the bush, and leaned down. "Garth. Which part of you that I can reach hurts the _least?"_ Hutch asked.

Hutch already knew. His legs. But he wasn't about to say that. "My… my legs. Yeah. My legs," Garth confirmed.

"You ready Hutch?" Came Kate's voice from the other side of the bush.

"Yep," Hutch responded.

He leaned back down to Garth. "I'm going to pull you as hard as I can. I am _very sorry_ if I hurt you. But we got to get you out of there as soon as possible," Hutch woofed, taking hold of Garth's front legs.

"It's okay… better than being left here to rot away…" He woofed.

 _Don't remind me._

"Alright. One. Two. Three!" Winston barked, as he and the others lifted up the bush as much as they could on the one side that Garth was in.

 **[This next paragraph contains the blood and liquid previously mentioned. Skip to the next message in brackets like this if you wish to not view this. NOT the Author's notes. Those are not signifying the end of the blood and grossness. (Grossness? Is that how you say that?)]**

Hutch instantly yanked on Garth's legs. Garth yelped, but didn't struggle. He started helping Hutch by kicking his back legs to push him along the ground. Soon Garth's head emerged from the darkness of the bush. It was even worse than Hutch remembered. Some of the wounds were undoubtedly infected already. Some were so infected, they were oozing yellow liquid.

 **(Author's note: Eeww…)**

Hutch kept pulling on him, when he hit a snag. "Ow! I'm caught… on something," Garth yelped.

Hutch stopped pulling. _I don't want to injure him further._ "Stay still Garth. I'm going to try and untangle you," Hutch barked, sticking his head under the bush.

It smelled unbelievably bad in there. _I can't believe I was the cause of this…_ Hutch thought. It was dark, and Hutch was stepping in Garth's blood. _And the liquid coming out of some of his wounds too. I am so sorry Garth._ Hutch thought. He saw one of Garth's hind legs caught on a branch. It was sort of wrapped around it. _I'm glad I didn't try to tug him free. I might have ripped his leg off. The flesh connecting his leg to his body is fragile enough already…_ "Your leg is wrapped by one of the branches Garth! I'm going to unravel it, but it's tight. Try not to flinch, even if your leg hurts. It's _really_ tight," Hutch woofed over his shoulder.

"Got it!" Garth barked from outside.

Eve had ran around the bush to where Garth was, and she was cleaning the wounds on his head and shoulders.

 **(Author's note: Head and Shoulder's shampoo reference right there… okay I'll stop now.)**

Hutch unraveled Garth's leg. "Alright! Got it!" He barked over his shoulder again.

Hutch backed out of there. _I'll never take fresh air for granted… I can't believe Garth spent so long in there._ Hutch saw that Eve had cleaned up Garth's wounds. Hutch blinked a thanks at her. Eve nodded back. _Huh. She didn't snarl at me. Odd. Maybe it's because I'm saving Garth or something, I dunno._ Hutch thought. "Alright! Lift up the bush again," Hutch woofed to the others.

"Okay! One, two, three!" Winston barked, and the four picked up the bush again.

Hutch saw Kate give him a worried look. _I think she thinks that she's going to be prosecuted, but no. Garth said a gray-furred wolf. Kate is about as far from gray as you can get._ Hutch took hold of Garth's legs and pulled him the rest of the way out. The low light in the bush made it impossible for Hutch to see the true extent of the damage he inflicted. _The wounds were made worse from sitting bare like that for so long… I'm glad I found him when I did, but I'm not sure if he's going to be able to survive this..._ Garth's wound on his bottom half were all infected. He was leaving a trail of more orange liquid, because the yellow mixed with the red and created… a gross scene. Hutch could barely look at it.

 **[Blood scene has ended, you may read on until the next set of brackets, where there is more mention of the blood and injuries]**

 _I'll have to carry him to the den. No one else can. Will he survive the trip though? I think it's best to move him to a clean spot, but only the minimal distance. It wouldn't be good to move him that far._ "Um, I don't think we should move him to the Alpha den. He won't survive that trip. Let's just move him to a clean spot with clean leaves or grass or whatever we can find, and that will have to do," Hutch barked to Eve.

Eve nodded in agreement. "Yes. I was thinking that too. He's too injured to be carried that far," She agreed.

 _Eh, she's the healer. I guess she would know it. It's probably also a bit of arrogance and wanting to say that she was right, but that's who Eve is. Meh._ Garth attempted to lift his head, but Eve snapped at him. "Lay your head down! You are in no condition to move by yourself. Hutch will move you instead," Eve growled.

 _Aaand there it is. Here is Eve, ladies and gentlewolves. Eve at her… least aggressive._ Hutch thought. Garth grumbled. "Ugh. I'm being carried by a Beta of the Western pack. At least it's not an Omega..." He growled to himself.

 _Watch your tone buddy. Lilly is right there and I don't think that you'd get away with hurting her feelings. And that Beta that you're talking about is me. The wolf that saved your life and tried to end it. You'd better watch what you say._ Hutch thought. The thought surprised him. Not because he thought it but because of what it consisted of. _I just saved the wolf I tried to kill. I mean, when I tried to kill him I was kind of insane, but I mean, I still tried to kill a wolf. And not in justice, it was waiting for him to turn his back and ambush him, because of a girl. Okay._ Hutch thought.

"Okay Hutch. We've made a sort of bed. Put him here," Eve barked to Hutch from a few feet away. They had made a grass bed with some cobwebs filling the bottom so the liquid could be drawn away.

 **[More blood and liquid ahead. If you wish to skip, skip to the next pair of brackets]**

Hutch picked up Garth by sliding his head under garth. Hutch got the blood and liquid on his head, but he didn't really care at the moment, because it was worth it. Hutch gently tossed Garth all the way onto his back. Garth winced, but didn't struggle. _Garth has better self-control than I ever will._ Hutch thought. Hutch felt the blood and liquid actively oozing onto his back. _Oh… gross._ Hutch thought.

 **[End of blood scenes]**

He quickly transported Garth to the nest. "Thank you Hutch. You should go wash off. We'll get his wounds tented to. You go back to the pack and alert them about what's happened," Winston woofed, with a nod to Hutch.

"Yes… thank you Hutch. If it weren't for you… I'd be dead now… thank you," Garth whispered to Hutch, giving him a small nod.

Hutch nodded back. "You shouldn't be talking! Be quiet!" Eve barked.

Garth gave Hutch a very exasperated look. Hutch shrugged. Hutch turned away and ran towards the river. He recounted his actions as he did. _I saved Garth… and in doing so I've cleared my name… I… I think this is what was needed to finally feel at peace. But… I'm not done. I have to try to keep my secret still, while now trying to keep other wolves from being killed. I may have solved one challenge, but in doing so I created another._ Hutch remembered that all of this was for Kate.

 _You are so worth all of this Kate. Every. Last. Moment._


	8. Chapter 8

**Something Special**

 **Chapter Eight**

 **(Author's Note: Welcome back! This chapter marks a new beginning, as I'm going to start writing from Lilly's point of view!**

Hutch had washed off in the river. _Time to break the news to the pack that I didn't actually kill Garth. Not in those exact words though… bad idea._ Hutch would have run to the pack, but he needed to think. _So, they're going to ask me questions. That's a no-brainer. Now, one of the questions will probably be 'How is he alive?' Or, 'How did you save him?' Both of which I should be ready for. I should say that I found him under the bush, just like what happened. I should talk about his injuries and say what Garth said- That he was attacked by a random wolf that had gray fur and that he or she gave him his horrid injuries._

 _Then, for if they ask how I saved him, I just tell them what I did, leaving out the part about me thinking about whether to kill him or not. There. That's what I do._ Hutch had made it to the pack by this point. The other Alphas and Betas were there, waiting for instruction. Hutch recognized Cando among them. He padded forward. "What happened? We heard your howl, Winston, Eve, Kate, and Lilly bolted off, and we've been waiting here ever since! If Garth wasn't confirmed dead then I'd think you found him alive!" He barked.

 _Bingo._ "Well… you guessed it. Uh, Garth _was_ confirmed dead until he… was found not dead. Garth's alive guys," Hutch woofed.

" _What?! How is this possible?"_ Cando barked very loudly.

"What is it?" One of the Alphas asked.

"Garth is alive!" Hutch repeated, raising his voice to a howl.

Instantly Hutch was rushed from all sides. Questions were shot at him so fast it was impossible to decipher between them. "Guys! We all have questions! Give him some space!" Cando barked, his voice resonating around the large crowd.

Hutch nodded a thanks to Cando. "Right. Now, I suppose you all are wondering about how he's alive…" Hutch barked.

Most of the wolves nodded. "Alright then. Well, whoever tried to kill Garth hadn't _quite_ done it. He was very injured, but not enough. He was unconscious for the whole time we were all with him, and woke up in the middle of the night last night. He dragged himself under a different bush than the one he was left in, because he was in a puddle of his own blood. He spent the remainder of the night under that bush and I only found him this morning. He was so weak he couldn't do more than whisper," Hutch started.

This sparked a few more questions, but glances from some of the Alphas shut them up. "Let him continue. What's next?" One asked.

"Thank you," Hutch woofed to the Alpha.

"Anyway, he was still pretty coherent, so he described his would-be killer as a gray wolf. That's it. He didn't get a clear scent, he said that the wolf moved too fast. I'd take you to him personally, but he's so injured Eve doesn't want anyone near him. He can't even be moved the distance to her den, he'd die on the journey. That's about it. When he's had some actual rest we'll ask him some more questions," Hutch woofed.

Cando nodded. "Right. I think we should tell the Omegas about this too… this is a big concern for the whole pack. Should I go assemble them so you can tell them about this?" Cando asked.

"Yes. Good idea. As for the rest of you, do you know if Tony's got word of this yet?" Hutch asked the rest of the wolves.

"No. He hasn't. Should a group of us go over to his pack and inform them?" One of the Alphas asked.

"Yes. I don't think Tony would be very happy with us keeping the information that his son is alive away from him. Go ahead," Hutch barked.

"Wait, wait, wait. Should we really be taking orders from a _beta?_ I think we should wait for Winston, the _actual_ leader of the pack to come and tell us what we should do," One of the Alphas sneered, his lips curling over his teeth.

 _Will I really have to explain that I'm the only one here who knows what's been going on, how to deal with it, and all of that?_ Luckily, Hutch didn't have to do that. Most of the wolves there gave him the death glare, and he whimpered. The previous Alpha turned back around, her tail lashing in anger. "Some Alphas… ugh. Anyway, we'll get right to it," She sighed.

She started calling out some names of wolves she wanted to take with her to tell Tony about the news. _I'd better inform Winston and the other three about this. They'd better get Garth ready to talk to Tony._ Hutch thought. _But I need to tell the Omegas about what happened! Oh, I'll just have Cando tell the Omegas._ "Cando! I'm sorry, but I need to tell Winston and the others that Tony's coming. You'll have to tell the Omegas yourself," Hutch barked to Cando.

"You got it. You know, their funny antics may be helpful to get the pack's spirits up… I mean, they'll already be up now that Garth's alive, but I think that they'll be much better if they have some wolves to make them laugh…" Cando added, padding away.

 _You know, he's right. But anyway, time to get to the others._ Hutch thought, turning and running away.

 **[Lilly's POV]**

 _Oh, poor, poor Garth. I'm so glad Hutch found him when he did. If not, Garth might be dead now._ Lilly watched as Eve kept cleaning Garth's wounds. She insisted that the others not help her. _I guess that's mom for you…_ Lilly watched as her father paced back and forth. _I need to help somehow… Kate's been sent to get water, but I have nothing to do!_ Lilly padded up to her mother. "Um… mom? Is there something I could do?" She asked.

 _Oh, why do I have to speak in my quiet little voice! I want to be able to speak with confidence. But, I can't really change that._ "No sweetie. Not yet. But I'll tell you when you can help," Her mother answered.

Winston stopped pacing. "You know, you can go and- "Winston!" Interrupted the voice.

Winston turned around. "What is the- Hutch! Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was you," Winston woofed.

"No problem Winston. It's just I've informed the Alphas and Betas about Garth being alive. I've also sent Cando to tell the Omegas the same. As well, I sent a group of wolves to tell Tony that Garth's alive. I thought that I'd tell you about all of that," Hutch barked.

Lilly noticed that Hutch looked kind of tired. _I don't think that Hutch would be tired out from just talking to wolves… unless he's an introvert. That would make any introvert sleepy. But Hutch doesn't strike me as an introvert. Something else must be on his mind. Hmph._ "You seem kind of tired Hutch," Lilly woofed, her voice far more quiet than she wanted it to be.

 _Oh, why can't I speak normally?_ Hutch looked at her, and she saw the faintest glint of fear in his eyes. _What was that about?_ Hutch shrugged. "I guess I didn't get enough sleep last night or something… considering the previous events," He answered.

 _Hold on…_ "Anyway, do you need anything else Winston?" Hutch asked.

"No, nothing really. And you do seem tired. You should go get some sleep," Winston answered.

"Alright, you got it," Hutch woofed.

As Hutch padded away, Lilly thought she saw a glimmer of relief in his eyes. _Hold up. Wait. Did I just see that? Something's going on with Hutch. And even though I'm quiet and a mess, I'm going to get to the bottom of this…_

 **(Author's Note: Well then! How's that? Sorry for the kind of short chapter. Bye!)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Something Special**

 **Chapter Nine**

 **(Author's note: I will be getting a new computer soon. I will try to inform you when it arrives by posting a small little message that will be deleted after I get everything set up and ready. Once the computer comes I will have to do a lot of stuff to get it ready. Perhaps taking several hours in the process. Then I'd have to get all the files off of this computer and all of that. So I may not post a new chapter after this one as soon as you'd like, I'm sorry. Enjoy the chapter!)**

Hutch sighed. _Yes. It is worth it. Although… it's still difficult. I'm far from done, although the spotlight is tuned away from me for the moment. Doesn't mean it won't come back though._ Hutch was almost to his den when he realized someone was calling his name. "Hutch! Wait up!" Came the voice.

 _Who would want to talk to me? I suppose it's the middle of the day still and the only reason I'm going to sleep is because all of this stress is making me tired._ Hutch turned around. He recognized the wolf as the one who had led the group to go inform Tony. _Oh. She's probably here to tell me that Tony's here._ "Sorry to bother you Hutch. But we got Tony and brought him back to Winston and the others," She woofed.

She shuddered. "And you weren't kidding. Garth is in horrid condition. I'm glad you got him out," She added.

"Yes. He's not doing so well, so I guess we'll have to wait awhile until we can start to be able to ask him questions. But, I suppose we should be okay for now…" Hutch trailed off.

 _I wish I could speak about this without knowing all of the answers. They say knowledge is power. But what they don't say is that sometimes knowledge is your worst enemy. I'd like it a lot better if someone else did this, but I couldn't wish it on anyone. I was going crazy then, but I hope I won't go crazy now. If I do… Garth won't be able to survive. He'd be dead. I have to keep myself from going insane._

"Um, Hutch? You okay?" The wolf asked.

Instantly Hutch snapped out of it. _Uh oh._ "Oh, uh, I'm fine. Just… overwhelming, that's all," He answered.

She nodded. "Yeah, I guess that's true. Anyway, my name's Tina," The wolf barked.

 _In any normal circumstance I'd think it would be weird that she'd tell me her name but I suppose I'll be seeing more of her. Because she's an Alpha._ "I'd tell you my name but you already know it," Hutch answered.

Tina laughed. "I suppose you don't have much of a choice other than to say that," She woofed.

"Anyway, will we be seeing eachother again? I mean, will we talk again?" Tina asked.

 _I suppose we will. She's an Alpha after all._ "Most likely. I'll bet you that we're not even a quarter done with this. Finding Garth alive is a big step, but we've got much more to do. Anyway, I need to sleep. Bye," Hutch woofed.

Tina looked a little disappointed for a second. Then she nodded her head. "I suppose you would be pretty tired. You should get some sleep," Tina agreed.

Hutch turned away and padded into his den. _I guess I need to sleep, but I feel like I should get something else done. Like I'm missing something._ "Hutch?" Came another voice.

 _Oh, what now?_ He looked up. Kate was standing in front of him. _Okay… um… if it were anyone else I'd be annoyed. But I'm not… because it's Kate._ "Hi Kate. Is… there something you need?" Hutch asked.

"I know you did it Hutch. I found a piece of your fur on Garth when we were cleaning his wounds," Kate answered.

 _Oh no._ "I…" Hutch whispered, not sure what to do.

 _Okay, I can attack her and buy myself time to run, or I can just wait. If I-_ "But I won't turn you in. I know it was an accident. And I know why. I pieced it together. You're lucky it was me instead of Winston," Kate barked.

 _Am I the luckiest wolf in the world or is this just a dream? If she's not turning me in I must be dreaming… this doesn't happen in real life._ "How…" Hutch whispered.

Kate sighed, sitting down. "Look. When I first found your fur I thought it was because of you carrying him and all of that. But I started to wonder. Only the strongest males would be able to injure Garth that bad. And it's clear that even those wolves wouldn't try it, Garth's just too strong. But I've always known you as a… more fearless wolf than the rest. You'd try it if you had a good reason. But that wasn't it. Brute force wasn't the only thing you'd need. You'd need speed, and cunning. I've seen you on hunts. Many times. For the weeks leading up to Garth's attempted murder I realized that you had been training much harder than the rest of us. This was before I learned of Winston and Tony's plan that you knew of. But after I knew about it… I was too fed up and dumb to realize. I was too… mad about the plan to realize. I suppose I would have sooner if the plan didn't involve me," Kate growled.

 _Just go with it._ "But… how would you be mad? Garth is… a good match. He'll make a good leader once he recovers," Hutch woofed.

 _It hurts me to say that._ "You're right. Garth is a good match… for someone who loves him. I don't. I never will. He's too… perfect. You might think that a perfect wolf would make a perfect match. Nah. Wolves need something… about them that's not perfect or close to it to make them well-rounded and a good match," Kate continued.

 _I don't know, you seem pretty perfect to me and_ I _like you._ "Is there… is there something you're going to do to me? I mean, you can't just let this slip. You'd have to turn me in, right?" Hutch asked.

Kate gave him a surprised look. "Huh. I didn't think you'd be asking me about turning you in like that. I thought you'd beg me not to," Kate wondered.

"I know that what I did is so wrong that it seems like it would be torture to wolves who knew about it. I don't want to give you this conscience that I have," Hutch answered.

 _I surprised myself. I didn't think I'd be able to say that. Sure, it's true, but it's so hard to say and I did it. I guess I'm stronger than I thought. I guess._ "Hutch. I don't have as bad a conscience like you do. You did it. I didn't," Kate simply answered.

"But it puts you at danger to know!" Hutch barked.

"Do you _want_ me to turn you in?" Kate asked.

Despite himself, Hutch had to think. _Do I? I'd never have to deal with just me and Kate knowing about this, the whole pack would. But then I'd either die or be banished for life. And I'd much rather prefer banishment to death, but it would still suck. I have friends here. And I really don't want to leave Kate. So no. I don't want her to turn me in. It would… clear me of my conscience but would destroy my life._ "No… I don't. It's just… so hard," Hutch sighed.

Kate's expression softened. "I understand Hutch. These things are never easy. And I know the risk I'm taking. I'm not someone who will be pursued as someone who did it, at least not right away. If Garth's gray fur story still stands, I won't be in danger. But you will. But I guess you've kept it a secret for this long. It must have been so difficult," Kate sympathized.

Her expression changed again, this time to something Hutch couldn't really recognize as one feeling. _Maybe worry? I don't know…_ "Hutch… I know this was an accident, but please… can you tell me about it? Everything?" Kate asked.

 _I knew it would come eventually. But I won't tell her that the reason was that I liked her._ "Okay… I will. It started when I learned from Winston of the plan. I didn't like it. I knew Garth would be a good leader. I just didn't like that he'd be marrying you. Not because you wouldn't make a good leader or anything, because you would. You're awesome. But… something told me that Garth would overshadow you. He'd take all of the glory because he's a perfect wolf like you said. I never meant it to go farther than just disappointment and anger, but something inside me snapped. I have no idea what. I don't know what got into me, but something told me that I had to stop it, no matter what it took. So I trained… and kept training for such a long time. I never stopped training until the Moonlight Howl. That would be when I'd execute my plan," Hutch revealed.

He had to stop for a moment so that he could release his feelings. It was so hard. But he had to keep going. "Take your time," Came Kate's gentle voice.

Hutch took a deep breath and continued. "I shoved him from behind, and off the cliff he was on. The fall wasn't big but it could kill a weaker wolf. I didn't intend for that to kill him instantly, only to weaken him. I hung onto him as he fell so that he'd break my fall. Then I darted into the nearby bushes as he was getting up so that he couldn't smell me. I knew that I'd have to attack and kill him before he could recognize my scent, just in case. So then I darted out again and rammed headfirst into his side. I kept a paw on his muzzle so he couldn't yell. I repeatedly bit and slashed at his back, but Garth bucked me off before I could bite down on his spine. I rolled into some brambles I think, and then I had to attack again. Garth's muzzle was bleeding. Then I bolted out one last time, this time catching him in the neck. And I think this is where my rage reached its peak because everything gets blurry around that part when I try to remember it. Then it comes back where I'm looking into his face, thinking he's dead. But he's not, of course. I realized what I had done, but I had no choice now. Then, as you already know, I set up the wildflower trail, throw his body into the lake, and hoped for the best," Hutch finished.

Kate looked at him, her face not giving much away but he could see surprise in her gaze. "I… wow. I don't know what to say..." Kate trailed off.

"Yeah… I'm not proud of it. I… went insane," Hutch growled.

 _It was so hard to say all of that out loud. But I kind of feel… better for it. I feel like a burden has been lifted._ "But there's one thing I don't understand," Kate woofed.

 _Oh no. I think I know what it is._ "You say that you tried to kill Garth because of your rage for not wanting me to be overshadowed by Garth," Kate woofed.

 _I knew it._ "Yes…" Hutch answered.

Kate sighed. "I may not want to know truly why you did it, but I do know that you don't kill a wolf because you're afraid they'll overshadow someone. Unless you're strangely loyal to me, which you don't strike me as. Now, please tell me. Please tell me the real reason why you tried to kill Garth," Kate barked.

 _I'd have to say this someday… I just had hoped that it wouldn't have this context._ Hutch sighed. "Well, okay. The real reason is… I…" Hutch tried to say it but he couldn't.

 **[STRONG LANGUAGE WARNING]** _God dammit! Why can't I just tell her that I fucking love her! Because I do! Why can't I just say those simple words in such simple order!? Because of what they fucking mean. That's why._ **[End of strong language]**

Kate seemed to get it. "It's not because of you wanting the packs to stay separate or anything, is it?" Kate asked.

 _Is she going to_ make _me say it?_ "No… no it's not," Hutch sighed.

"Then I think I know what it is. You don't want Garth to have me. You want me yourself," Kate woofed.

 _How is her voice so even!? I'd never manage that. Of course, she probably doesn't like me back or anything. She probably just sees me as a friend._ All Hutch could manage was a nod. Kate nodded. Hutch was not ready for her next sentence. "I should have guessed as much. Well, I don't know if you'll like to hear it or not, but I've liked you back for a long time," 

_What?_

 **(Author's Note: EEEEEEEEE! Okay I love this. Now Kate's in on the secret and all that, so it's not** _ **all**_ **good but it's pretty neat! Now, like I said at the beginning I may take a little longer than usual to submit the next chapter if I get my new computer that fast. I'll try to warn you before I do, but if I don't have time then don't be alarmed if there's a prolonged absence. I will never drop this story. NEVAH! Ooh, just a side note: The very first Something Special chapter's document has 38 days left. You'd think that it would be gone by now. Nope)**


	10. Chapter 10

I am sorry, this isn't a chapter. But the computer came and all that. However, I have some bad news, affecting this story. A lot. It turns out Macs don't like to work with Fanfiction very well and I can't post new chapters on it. Now, since it's only a matter of time until this old computer gives out for good, I thought it best to let you all know as soon as I could so that I could actually give you a reason for not continuing the story and not just disappearing off of the face of the Earth. I know, I made some promises that I would not drop the story, and believe me, if I had the choice, I would not. But I don't have a choice. I would like to say thank you to all of you for being there for me, and giving me constructive criticism, and helping me make this story what it is. I wish I could continue it. I really do. But I can't. I hope that you all can forgive me. I am so sorry. Hope you all have a great day.

-Howling Storm


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